Nicole Tully Edges Marielle Hall Hall To Claim Her First US Titles in Thrilling Race – Abbey D’Agostino Third – Women’s 5000 Recap

by LetsRun.com
June 28, 2015

EUGENE, Ore. — With Shannon Rowbury opting for the 1500 and Molly Huddle not doubling back from the 10,000 and with Shalane Flanagan being a marathoner now, there was bound to be a new US champion crowned in the women’s 5000 today at the 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships.

In the end, there were almost co-champions as the finish was extremely tight but the new US champion is NY / NJ track club team member Nicole Tully (sponsored by NYAC and Hoka One One) as she won in 15:06.44 – just .01 ahead of 2014 NCAA champ Marielle Hall who was charging up on the outside. 7-time NCAA champion Abbey D’Agostino of Dartmouth claimed the third Worlds spot in 15:06.59 by moving up on the rail during the last 100 as Emily Infeld, who made the team in the 10,000 on Thursday, was fourth in 15:07.18.

This won was tight at the finish This won was tight at the finish

Flanagan, the former American 5000 record, who was the runner-up in the 10,000, ended up fifth in 15:10.02 after setting a fast pace for much of the race that allowed three of  the top four finishers to PR. The Brooks Beasts Katie Mackey stumbled and lost about 10 meters with about 650 to go, but battled back to take the lead on the first turn of the final lap before fading over the final 200 to sixth in 15:16.96.

The Race (video here)

Infeld led for the first two laps before Flanagan took over and pushed things relentlessly. After an opening 1600 of 4:50 and 3200 of 9:44, the lead pack was down to the eventual final top 6.

Flanagan led until 2 laps remained when Hall went to the front. Everyone was still together on the backstretch, when Mackey running in sixth, stumbled after bumping the one of the runners in front of her. She lost about 10 meters and slowly caught back up over the next 250. As she was regaining contact with the group, she just kept moving up on the outside and had the lead midway around the first turn on the final lap after a 72.2 penultimate lap.

On the backstretch, Infeld went to the lead and soon it was clear that both Mackey and Flanagan weren’t going to be contending for a top 3 finish.

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Coming off the final turn, the quartet of Infeld, Hall, Tully and D’Agostino were all right there. Infeld led but Tully and Hall were right behind her, virtually side by side, with D’Agostino in fourth a bit boxed. 30 meters down the homestretch, Tully went to the lead but Hall kept charging and nearly nipped her at the line. In trying to hold off Tully, Infeld moved out to lane 2, giving D’Agostino the opening she needed to move up into the top 3.

After the finish, it was so tight, it to flashresults a while to figure out who won. Tully had given it everything she had and she waited simply sprawled out on the track as shown here:

Nicole Tully waits Nicole Tully waits
Nicole Tully post-race Nicole Tully post-race

 

Soon it was official. Tully 1, Hall 2.

Results and then our quick take analysis.

Results *Lap by Lap Splits

 

Place Name Affiliation Time Heat (Pl)
1 Nicole Tully Hoka / N Y A C 15:06.44 1 (1)
2 Marielle Hall NIKE 15:06.45 1 (2)
3 Abbey D’Agostino New Balance 15:06.59 1 (3)
4 Emily Infeld Nike / Bowerman 15:07.18 1 (4)
5 Shalane Flanagan Nike / Bowerman 15:10.02 1 (5)
6 Katie Mackey Brooks 15:16.96 1 (6)
7 Kellyn Taylor Hoka / NnAz El 15:32.04 1 (7)
8 Desiree Davila Hansons-Brooks 15:37.50 1 (8)
9 Brie Felnagle adidas 15:45.35 1 (9)
10 Amanda Mergaert Brooks / Beasts 15:46.32 1 (10)
11 Alisha Williams Boulder R C/adi 15:46.61 1 (11)
12 Alia Gray Brooks 15:47.14 1 (12)
13 Alexi Pappas Nike / Nike OTCE 15:48.26 1 (13)
14 Alycia Cridebring New Balance 15:49.42 1 (14)
15 Rochelle Kanuho Hoka / NnAz El 15:54.74 1 (15)
16 Meghan Peyton Saucony / TUSA M 15:56.75 1 (16)
17 Jessica Tonn Stanford 16:02.71 1 (17)
18 Kara Goucher Oiselle 16:05.35 1 (18)
19 Allison Grace Morgan Brooks 16:14.15 1 (19)
20 Anne Houston LeHardy North Carolina 16:30.18 1 (20)
Liz Costello New Balance DNS 1,
Gabriele Grunewald Brooks / TUSA Mn DNS 1,
Molly Huddle Saucony DNS 1,
Shannon Rowbury Nike / Nike Or P DNS 1,

 

Quick Take #1: A great race.

Katie Mackey stumbled on the penultimate lap Katie Mackey stumbled on the penultimate lap

This race had everything a distance fan would want – fast pace, tight finish and even a little contact thrown in there.

The 2nd, third and fourth placers all PRd.

Hall came in with a 15:09.90 pb but left with a 15:06.45 pb.
D’Agostino came in with a 15:11.35 pb but left with a 15:06.59 pb.
Infeld came in with a 15:07.19 pb and left with a 15:07.18 pb.

Quick Take #2: The transformation of Nicole Tully is complete.

Tully was the only one of the top three who didn’t PR but we don’t think she’s complaining. A year ago, Tully was just 14th (didn’t make the final) at USAs in the 1500. Her highest career finish at USAs before today was just 10th at the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 1500. In her only other showing at USAs, she also failed to make the 1500 final in 2013.

In college, she was far from a superstar. Competing as Nicole Schappert first at Wake Forest and then Villanova, Tully scored one time at NCAAs. She was sixth in the 3000 in 2010.

However, the 10 time Florida state champ as a high schooler has certainly thrived this year since moving up to the 5,000 under the tutelage of Frank Gagliano.

She won the race today by running 1:04.39 for the final lap, with a 30.7 final 200.

Talk about this race on our fan forum: Official Day 4 2015 USA Outdoor Live Discussion Thread and listen to some post-race interviews below.

Post-Race Interview with Tully

Post-Race Interview With D’Agostino

Abby D’Agostino just missed the Olympic team in 2012 as a sophomore in college. Then she was 6th in the US in 2013. Last year she was beaten in the NCAA 5000m and called it a season. She started out this year injured and came into NCAAs with only a 15:23 best. She leaves a member of Team USA with a nice pr (15:06.59 previous best 15:11.35).

She obviously was pleased with the run today and is in a great position to be heading to Europe (Ireland) on the upswing.

Post-Race Interview With Hall

We forgot to hit “record” for much of this interview, but Hall was pleased to make the US team. She is coached by Ajee Wilson’s coach, Derek Thompson, who was also Hall’s coach in high school.

They are not the biggest group in the US in terms of numbers but they are definitely one of the best.

Post-Race Interview with Flanagan

Shalane did not have to do the 5,000 already being on the team, but she took the opportunity to test herself on the track as she does not get the chance to race on the track very often. She said shes’ll definitely run the 10,000m at the World Champs.

Katie Mackey Comes Close

Katie Mackey had the worst luck of anyone in the field nearly falling with 700 m to go. She regained her footing and caught the leaders at the bell and decided to keep her momentum going by taking the lead. It was too much too soon, but much of that was caused by having to sprint to the lead pack. Mackey has PRs of 4:03.81 and 15:04.74 and her 6th place finish today believe it or not was the closest she’s been to making a US team. Stumbling at the World Champs trials is terrible, stumbling at the Olympic Trials is way worse. Mackey can now set her sites on making her first US team at the Trials.

Talk about this race on our fan forum: Official Day 4 2015 USA Outdoor Live Discussion Thread.

Screenshots from the USATF.TV broadcast. Click for a larger image.

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